Metlox Transformed by 'Spreading the Love' Display

Metlox Plaza has been transformed into a colorful oasis by a local artist who hopes that her "Spreading the Love" exhibit will provide a space for joyful reflection during the holidays.

Artist Virginia Vilchis, a Manhattan Beach resident who created the exhibit, says her goal was to create a "holiday instillation of love."

"The installation provides guests with a
touch of the holiday spirit... to love life, and to live in the
moment," she said. "People can sit outside with their friends or children, converse, have a meal or
a cup of coffee, work on the computer or just have a good time. It's as
beautiful and thought-provoking during the daytime hours as it is at night."

The installation will be on display through January 8, 2018.

Vilchis is a mixed
media artist who uses a variety of textures and abstract qualities to
create her paintings. Her works have a unique tactile quality with
condensations of images, layers and compilation of oils, acrylics,
watercolors and pastels, as well as fabrics and collage.

Born in Mexico, she first came to the United States at age 14 as a farmworker in Bakersfield. She overcame significant odds to complete her education (graduating with her BFA from Syracuse University in 2011) and become an artist. Her works have been exhibited in several museums as well as in private and public collections throughout the United States.